FORESTRY COMMISSION. 115 



remain in Micliif;an, as in neighboring states, thousands of farmers 

 who need and must have telephone facilities, which cannot be furnished 

 without poles. 



No one can estimate with any degree of accuracy the number of poles 

 that will be required for this rural development, but few indeed should 

 be the country roads upon which there will not be a line of poles for 

 farmer telephone purposes. Will 500,000 poles during the next ten 

 years properly supply the demand in Michigan? Probably not, but, even 

 so. where are the poles to come from at reasonable cost? 



In addition to the demand in our own State, is the demand in neigh- 

 boring stales for like business. 



I'eyoud the requirements already mentioned, is the problem of replace- 

 ment of poles. 



An estimate that within eight years over one-third of all poles now 

 in use must be removed or reset after cutting off six feet of their buts, 

 is probably too small an estimate. In fifteen years practically all the 

 twenty- five-foot poles, six inches and less at the top, will be worn out, 

 as will be the great majority of the longer and larger poles now in use. 



Thus in the near future, within the lifetime of another generation, wo 

 need manj' thousands of poles, which will of necessity be secured outside 

 the State, and probably at figures astonishingly high, as compared 

 with present jirices. But more important is the supply after the "near 

 future'' demands are cared for. 



As a matter of fact there is no pole known to the pole using compa- 

 nies of today, having the many admirable qualities of the Michigan 

 cedar. 



it is symmetrical, smooth, straight, stiff and easy to clinib, even after 

 being long in use, and the most durable of native timber. 



The tamarack pole is short of life and becomes so hardened after being 

 one season in the ground as to make it difficult and dangerous to climb. 



The poles cut from the oak and other native hardwoods are unsightly 

 and undesirable as compared with the cedar. This latter is native to 

 the State, and the State should promptly take proper steps to secure the 

 cultivation of the cedar for the use of future generations. 



Of those best posted on forestry subjects the claim is made that the 

 cedar can be profitably grown by the State, even with its slow develop- 

 ment. Under most unfavorable conditions, it requires more than one 

 hundred years to grow cedar for pole purposes, but with proper state 

 supervision it is claimed that the time required for growth of cedar will 

 be greatly reduced. 



The State Land Commissioner estimates that ^Michigan now owns of 

 so-called worthless swamp lands to exceed one million acres, and over 

 five million acres of "worthless" land not swamp. The State goes on and 

 on, and time is of little value for the producing from said "worthless" 

 lands and at exceedingly small cost, future value and fortune for our 

 Commonwealth and its citizens. 



While comparatively little has been done in demonstrating the possibil- 

 ities, climatic, etc., of bringing into the State other tree products, yet 

 everything points to flattering prospects along these lines. 



Thus the Catalpa, which the Illinois Central Eailway, the Denver & 

 Eio Grande Railway and other railroad companies have begun to raise 

 for pole and tie purposes, is probably a most valuable tree for Michigan 

 culture. 



